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RIDGEWOOD GRASSROOTS PARKING GARAGE PETITION EXCEEDS SIGNATURE GOAL, SEEKS TO PUT GARAGE FINANCING OPTIONS TO VOTERS

BCIA petition OLMC

Hundreds upon hundreds of Ridgewood taxpayers demand voice on how to fund parking garage.

February 27, 2016

by NO2BCIA

RIDGEWOOD, NJ­ Friday afternoon, in a victory for the voice of the taxpayers and responsible public financing, the NO2BCIA [https://no2bcia.com/]citizen group delivered over 1300 signatures, more than enough, to force a binding referendum on a Village ordinance that would have the county rather than the Village bond the proposed Hudson Street parking garage.

The Committee of Petitioners was formed in the aftermath of a failure of the Ridgewood Village Council to achieve the 4­1 super­majority vote necessary for the Village to bond the project itself, due to lack of critical design renderings requested by Councilmember Susan Knudsen for the community and Council to review and assess, and the lack of a payment plan to present to taxpayers, as requested by Councilman Sedon.

Instead, a simple majority (3­2) of the Council immediately at the same meeting, introduced Ordinance 3519, an ordinance authorizing the execution and granting of a Lease Purchase Agreement with the Bergen County Improvement Authority.

The petition seeks to protest and repeal Ordinance 3519 until it can be voted on by registered voters of Ridgewood, as a binding referendum question. The Committee of Petitioners seeks to ensure that all aspects of the garage remain securely within the control of the Village.

“This is a huge victory for the residents of Ridgewood who want to have common sense solutions to parking and how it is funded. This petition is not anti­garage. In fact, in talking to the many people who signed, many of them voted for a garage on the non­binding referendum in November. They just want Ridgewood to have full control and flexibility of the pricing structure, especially when it comes to resident and non­resident commuters using the garage.” says Petitioner Lorraine Reynolds. “Now we hope to encourage full Council support for a garage design that meets the wishes of the surrounding community, including shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and most of all, the residents of Ridgewood.”

Petitioner Gail McCarthy adds, “I am very optimistic. ‘Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer.’ I am pretty sure we would all much rather be spending our time and money shopping in downtown Ridgewood!”

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YWCA Offers March American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Training and Recertification Courses

Graydon_Pool_theridgewoodblog

YWCA Bergen County is offering its next American Red Cross Lifeguard Recertification Course March 15th through 17th and Waterfront Lifeguard Training Module March 22nd and 24th.
American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Recertification Course, on Tuesday, March 15th through Thursday, March 17th, will review and test all CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard Skills. Participants must present current LGT Certification on first day of class. Classes will be held from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, and the course fee is $150.
The American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Training Module will be held on Tuesday, March 22nd and Thursday, March 24th. Participants must present valid LGT Certification and will be trained and tested in Lifeguard skills specific to murky bottom, non-surf facilities. Classes will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, and the course fee is $100.
For more information or to register call the YWCA Membership Department at 201-444-5600, x400, or visit www.ywcabergencounty.org.

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Van Dyk’s Homemade Ice Cream in Ridgewood Open today !

Van Dyk's Homemade Ice Cream

February 27,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Van Dyk’s homemade ice cream, is one of our favorite spots in town ,. It is open for the season today from 11-9. For those who are new to town, put it on your must visit list.

This is “old Ridgewood” at its’ best.  Its not much to look at because its all about the ice cream. Van Dyk’s is probably hands down the best ice cream place we have ever been to. There is not a whole lot of ambiance and the flavor selection may seem a bit old school but they make up for it extremely generous servings, a single scoop is equivalent to a normal double scoop.

No hype just great ice cream . For ice cream lovers it is a taste bud over load . Van Dyk’s is located on 145 Ackerman Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450, Phone number(201) 444-1429 and its open 11 -9 today .

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Neighbor of Irene Habernickel Family Park Target of harassment campaign by Village of Ridgewood over Opposition to Health Barn

3 amigos in action Ridgewood NJ
file photo of the Council Majority …ie the 3 amigos
February 26,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, ,it does appear from recent OPRA requests that the Village harassed a resident who objected to Health Barn USA plan by calling DEP on them and conducting numerous property maintenance inspections.

The attached documents, obtained late Friday afternoon, February 26, 2016, in response to an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request dated February 3, 2016, clearly identify who it was that “dropped a dime” on your family.

Screenshot 2016 02 27 at 8.46.56 AM
It’s all public information available to anyone who submits an OPRA request.  You may wish to share this with your friends and neighbors.

Screenshot 2016 02 27 at 8.45.53 AM

We have also filed an OPRA request with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection just to see if anything additional turns up.

It certainly is a shame that your speaking out in opposition to an irrational plan proposed by the Village Council “majority” triggered what appears to be nothing more than a vindictive series of trumped up code enforcement actions directed at your property.

Screenshot 2016 02 27 at 8.36.19 AM
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Gwenn Hauck continues to use Village Hall as a mailing address for her campaign

gwenn hauck

file photo by Boyd Loving

February 27,2016

by Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, On Friday, February 12 at 9:00 AM and again on Friday, February 26 at 6:44 AM, e-mail messages supporting the re-election campaign of Village of Ridgewood Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck (originating from the domain www.gwennhauck.com), were sent to selected Ridgewood residents/voters.

Clearly, both messages were purely political in nature and substance.  That is, they were not intended to communicate any official Village of Ridgewood matters to the selected recipients.

Included within the body of both messages was this information:

“Our mailing address is:
Gwenn Hauck – Village of Ridgewood Council
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450”

131 North Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 is the address of Village Hall, a building paid for by Ridgewood’s taxpayers and staffed only by employees of the Village of Ridgewood (whose salaries are paid for by taxpayers).

I am flabbergasted that Ms. Hauck could believe her status as a sitting member of the current Village Council would entitle her to use taxpayer funded facilities & services in connection with the receipt and handling of mail related to her re-election campaign.

Perhaps this practice MAY be lawful, but it certainly seems completely unethical, disrespectful, arrogant, and downright STUPID.

Let’s hope that Ms. Hauck just didn’t know any better as opposed to it being a deliberate effort to thumb her nose at us all.

The use an official Village of Ridgewood mailing address for Ms. Hauck’s re-election campaign must cease immediately.

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Ridgewood News, article to try to pressure Mike Sedon and Susan Knudsen to vote for bonding the garage through Ridgewood.

Reading_theridgewood_news_theridgewoodblog

All — On page 3 of the Ridgewood News, there was an article to try to pressure Mike Sedon and Susan Knudsen to vote for bonding the garage through Ridgewood. If you are skeptical of the viability of the proposed garage, please send Mike and Susan an email to let them know to stay firm on their vote and allow the referendum on the BCIA to go forward. Here’s what I sent to them:

Sent: Friday, February 26, 2016 4:23 PM
To: ‘[email protected]’; ‘[email protected]
Cc: ‘[email protected]’; ‘[email protected]’; ‘[email protected]
Subject: garage

Susan and Michael,

With regards to the full page ad in the Ridgewood News today, I urge you to maintain your position on the bonding of the proposed garage.

I do not believe that a garage in that location will cover its costs and the taxpayers are going to wind up funding it. There is simply not enough demand for parking at the proposed location. There are usually many spots open right across the street. I’d support a smaller structure located more centrally and I know a lot of my fellow residents would too.

Please stay the course and know that most of the residents who voted in support of a garage did not know any specific information at that time therefore there is NO MANDATE to build anything at this time.

Feel free to contact me via email or at 201-445-8222.

Regards,
Derek Schnure

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No Property Tax Relief in Sight for New Jersey Homeowners

Anim_Homepage

Why N.J. towns are unlikely to see good news on aid for property taxes

State Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) said Thursday he’d like to restore aid to New Jersey’s municipalities to lower property taxes, but the state simply can’t afford it. Samantha Marcus. NJ.com Read more

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HealthBarn USA lease adopted by a 3-2 vote in Ridgewood

Habernickel HealthBarn USA protest

file photo by Boyd Loving

BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD – Members of Ridgewood’s ruling body last week voted by a narrow margin (3-2) to adopt HealthBarn USA’s lease at the Habernickel Family Park.

Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck, Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli all voted to adopt the lease, while Councilman Mike Sedon and Councilwoman Susan Knudsen cast the dissenting votes.

The process got going due to a resolution for HealthBarn USA to occupy the gatehouse at the Habernickel property passing by a 4-1 vote at the Feb. 10 Village Council meeting. The second resolution on the lease was postponed until Feb. 18 because the council wanted to review the finalized lease before authorizing signature.

And due to the majority vote at the Feb. 18 budget meeting, the lease was adopted.

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/healthbarn-usa-lease-adopted-by-a-3-2-vote-1.1518523

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Village of Ridgewood Leaf Summons Issues Resolved for Now

leaf me alone
February 26,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewoood NJ, Leaf summon issue resolved for now , while it does seem troubling as to the percentage of homes who were issued summonses. Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld reported that 404 out of 414 leaf summons were paid , 3 were heard by a judge , others were dismissed for various reasons.

https://www.tubechop.com/watch/7730477 courtesy of Saurabh Dani‎

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Garagezilla : Bond ordinance for parking garage discussion continues at Ridgewood meeting

godzilla

BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD – The Village Council meeting on Feb. 24 was an eventful one, as it included a spirited debate between council members as well as a presentation and a number of public comments.

Reintroducing the bond ordinance

Mayor Paul Aronsohn announced via email that the council would be voting to reintroduce the bond ordinance for the proposed Hudson Street parking garage at the upcoming council meeting on March 2, which would allow for the facility to be funded in-town as opposed to by the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA), which residents had been clamoring for. Though the vote will require a supermajority to pass (4-1), the vote, as it stands is 3-2. This means that just one more vote to bond the garage in town is needed.

Should a supermajority be reached, the council will vote on whether to actually bond within the village at the upcoming March 23 council meeting.

“Hopefully, this council can agree to it,” Aronsohn said. “That’s great if we can do it in-house.”

Aronsohn did note, however, that while he is open to bonding in Ridgewood, he is still committed to bonding with the BCIA should there not be enough votes to fund the garage through the village.

“Either way makes sense,” he said. “I think a partnership with the BCIA is fantastic; I think there are a lot of benefits to that for us, for them, but I think if we can do it in-house, and if that brings us together as a council and as community, so be it, let’s do that.”

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/bond-ordinance-talk-continues-at-meeting-1.1518489

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Readers takes issue with the “Ridgewood Moms” Facebook group

ridgewood moms

Usually Rurik is to be totally ignored, but let’s address one thing he spoke about last night.He touted the benefits and wonders of the Ridgewood moms and dads page. The one stop place for information on all local happenings.

Except if you happen to be anyone with an opinion that differs from the site moderator who happens to do the bidding of our village manger, Rurik and a few others who are like minded.The moderator pergolas has ties to other local organizations which would benefit from keeping only one side of the story visible to as many residents as he can reach.

So, say you are someone who should want to post any opposing view of Rurik, or post factual information about something like say, the petition, your post is deleted and you’re removed from the site. Some people may get a warning that their many neighbors are complaining about them- probably not- and you’re allowed to reapply for admission to censorship central at a later time.

The moderator of the site that Halaby finds so helpful, is censoring what a good portion of Ridgewood residents see. Some people don’t know there are other places to go to get a well balanced view of town happenings.Just figured it should be put out there.

The moderator and his wife are all easily enough found out off of this blog. All easily looked up.

He deletes immediately and removes the comments of, anyone who dares to speak out against the council majority. He thr. Sends messages to the offenders which are sometimes direct quotes from Roberta.
Unfortunately a lot of new people to town, or people not as aware as others, use that site as a place for legit information.
That man has set himself up as the censor for Ridgewood.Unacceptable.
Posted on 5 Comments

Ridgewood and Glen Rock PD officers apprehend a suspected burglar on Lincoln Avenue in Ridgewood

ridgewood police
photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

Ridgewood and Glen Rock PD officers apprehended a suspected burglar on Lincoln Avenue in Ridgewood 

February 26,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood and Glen Rock PD officers apprehended a suspected burglar just moments after he reportedly made an attempt to break into a home off of Lincoln Avenue in Ridgewood on Thursday afternoon, 02/25. While being detained for questioning by uniformed patrol officers, detectives who arrived at the scene observed several items strewn about the ground indicative of those generally preferred by burglars.

The suspect was handcuffed and taken to Ridgewood PD headquarters for questioning as detectives worked to photograph the evidence found at the scene. A Bergen County Sheriff’s officer was also observed at the scene of the arrest.

It has also been reported that there has been a decided up tick in home robberies and attempted robberies in recent weeks , in any case best to keep doors locked , a light on in the evening ,and police uncollected papers and mail , A home security system is also a big plus.

UPDATE: Ridgewood Police Department report Simon S. Strong age 35 from Paterson, NJ was charged with Criminal Attempt (Burglary), Criminal Mischief, Receiving Stolen Property, Possession of Marijuana under 50 grams Bail was set at $25,000 no 10% option. The subject was remanded to Bergen County Jail in lieu of bail.

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Ridgewood Choral Benefit Recital & Silent Auction

music-notes
Sun, March 06, 2016
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ
Cost: $20 per person

Event Description

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Choral will hold a benefit concert and silent auction. Carl Patrick Bolleia, pianist and 2004 Music Award winner will play piano selections from the earliest composers to the latest. Since 1967 The Ridgewood Choral has presented the Florence Reinauer Memorial Music Award to a musically talented teen. Over $30,000 in scholarships has been awarded to high school seniors in recognition of excellence in vocal or instrumental performance. Admission at the door on the day of the performance is $20 and includes refreshments. Proceeds will fund the Award, currently $2500. For more information about The Ridgewood Choral, a non-profit community chorus, visit www.ridgewoodchoral.org

Ridgewood Choral
201-445-8179
www.ridgewoodchoral.org

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Why Millennials don’t eat Cereal

breakfast of champions
February 25,2016

PJ Blogger and the Staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The other day the Washington Post ran an article entitled “The baffling reason many millennials don’t eat cereal.”
I have never been a fan of cereal myself,actually I hate it, and I thought finally something good to say about Millennials ,so I clicked on it to see if they shared my distaste in the common breakfast ,some call it “food”.

The answer  shocked me ,no Millennials like cereal alright it’s just the cleaning up afterwards they object to.(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/23/this-is-the-height-of-laziness/)

The Washington Post article goes on to describe how this trend toward convenient and quick foods is a sign of a fast-paced, two-income family society in which very few people have time to prepare and eat a meal at home. However, the article also makes another interesting observation:“But there is something different about the backlash against cereal bowls, something more fundamental about it that seems to speak to a greater truth about American households today.

A 2014 national survey, conducted by Braun Research, found that 82 percent of parents said they were asked to do chores as children. But when they were asked if they required their children to do chores, only 28 percent of them said yes. ( https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-kids-chores-vanishing-balancing-20141013-column.html )

Wow you would never survive in my house . That is a generational shift in how families raise their kids. This disconnection from the consequences of everyday living appears to be turning even the most mundane of responsibilities, like doing the dishes, into unthinkable nuisances and raising a generation of self entitled  helpless brats .

Let’s face it: modern parents love and want the best for their children. And in an attempt to achieve that best, parents have pushed aside chore requirements because their children fussed over them or simply didn’t have time to handle them with the busyness of school, sports, and extra-curricular activities.

But have parents missed the fact that training their children to be diligent, capable, and efficient through the medium of chores might be one of the best ways to help their child become a success in the adult world?

The simple things like chores teach children discipline, confidence, persistence, and many other life skills. Skills many new to the workforce seem to be severaly lacking.  In an article in Business Insider about the mid-20s girl in California that mouthed off on Yelp and fired for it. This is another example of someone that lacked discipline to have good financial habits, lack of confidence that she could turn her situation around with hard work, had no persistence in that she wanted and expected more freebies. The typical Bernie Sanders voter I might ad .

I’m sure she’s now fuming at her former boss instead of appreciating her own mistakes because she does not seem to know better. Example of a self-entitled brat, and nobody wants that for a coworker. (https://www.businessinsider.com/stefanie-williams-response-to-yelp-employee-talia-jane-2016-2 )

Why Children Need Chores
Doing household chores has many benefits—academically, emotionally and even professionally.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-children-need-chores-1426262655

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BCIA garage is a county owned and operated parking garage , that is paid for by Village of Ridgewood taxpayers

Hudson Street Parking Garage

February 25,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, The fact is a BCIA garage is a county owned and operated parking garage , that is paid for by Village of Ridgewood taxpayers .The Village gives up all control of the garage and Village residents have no priority.

From the Bergen Record October 13th, 2014 , “The village has been in talks with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) for more than a year about a partnership that would ideally result in the county building a 450-space parking garage at the site of the Hudson Street lot, where there are currently only a couple dozen 12-hour metered parking spots.

The county would own and operate the garage, which the village would pay for over the course of 20-30 years from the revenue from the garage.

To put the plan into motion, the freeholders and the county executive both need to sign off on the transferring of funds from the county’s planning department to the BCIA through the approval of the resolution.” https://www.northjersey.com/news/freeholders-set-vote-on-funding-study-for-ridgewood-1.1108474?page=1